U.S. patent number 5,456,052 [Application Number 08/142,329] was granted by the patent office on 1995-10-10 for two-part masonry tie.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Abey Australia Pty. Ltd.. Invention is credited to Geoffrey Anderson, Roland Maeder.
United States Patent |
5,456,052 |
Anderson , et al. |
October 10, 1995 |
Two-part masonry tie
Abstract
A masonry brick tie is disclosed which includes two discrete
members (1) and (10), each in use being adapted to be disposed in a
mortar course of a brick wall in a cavity brick structure. The
members (1) and (10) are releasable interconnectable at the
respective free ends thereof, thereby facilitating installation
thereof within a cavity brick wall structure and yet in no way
affecting the strength or operating effectiveness thereof.
Inventors: |
Anderson; Geoffrey (North
Fitzroy, AU), Maeder; Roland (Keilor East,
AU) |
Assignee: |
Abey Australia Pty. Ltd.
(Victoria, AU)
|
Family
ID: |
3775428 |
Appl.
No.: |
08/142,329 |
Filed: |
November 26, 1993 |
PCT
Filed: |
May 27, 1992 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/AU92/00239 |
371
Date: |
November 26, 1993 |
102(e)
Date: |
November 26, 1993 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO92/21831 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
December 10, 1992 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/713; 52/379;
52/562; 52/565; 52/568; 52/712 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B
1/4185 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E04B
1/41 (20060101); E04B 002/30 () |
Field of
Search: |
;52/713,378,379,562,565,568,712 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Friedman; Carl D.
Assistant Examiner: Kent; Christopher Todd
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier,
& Neustadt
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A masonry or brick tie for use in cavity brick structures,
adapted in use to extend between and interconnect first and second
brick walls of said cavity brick structure, said tie including:
a first member adapted to be positioned within a mortar course of
said first brick wall and which protrudes substantially
perpendicularly therefrom, said first member being of a
substantially elongate shape and including, at or in the vicinity
of one of a free end and a protruding end thereof, an aperture
extending therethrough;
said first member having at least one further aperture assisting in
retention of said first member within the mortar of said mortar
course; and
a second member adapted to be positioned within the mortar course
of said second brick wall and so as protrude substantially
perpendicularly therefrom, said second member being of a
substantially elongate shape and having a free end portion for
being positioned within said mortar course and which is of a
substantially planar shape in cross-section, said second member
including one of a plurality of surface projections and
corrugations wherein a remainder of said second member is of a
substantially arcuate shape in cross-section, and wherein said
arcuate remainder of said second member includes, at or in the
vicinity of one of a free end and a protruding end thereof, a
cut-out portion at each side thereof so as to form one of a
hook-like and a hook-shaped end portion which is positioned within
said aperture of said first member so as to interconnect said
protruding ends of said first and second members.
2. The masonry or brick tie as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at
least one further aperture of said at least one first member
includes a plurality of apertures disposed along the length of said
at least one first member.
3. The masonry or brick tie as claimed in claim 2, wherein all free
edges of said at least one first and second members are
rounded.
4. The masonry or brick tie as claimed in claim 3, wherein said
members each comprise a metallic material.
5. The masonry or brick tie as claimed in claim 3, wherein said
members each comprise a plastics material.
6. A method of constructing a cavity brick structure, said brick
structure having a first brick wall connected with a second brick
wall by at least one masonry or brick tie, which comprises:
providing at least one first member positioned within a mortar
course of said first brick wall so as to protrude substantially
perpendicularly therefrom, said at least one first member being of
a substantial elongate shape and including, at or in the vicinity
of one of a free end and a protruding end thereof, an aperture
expending therethrough, said at least one first member having at
least one further aperture assisting in retention of said at least
one first member within the mortar of said mortar course;
providing at least one second member positioned within the mortar
course of said second brick wall so as to protrude substantially
perpendicularly therefrom, said at least one second member being of
a substantially elongate shape and having a free end portion
positioned within said mortar course and which is of a
substantially planar shape in cross-section, said at least one
second member including one of a plurality of surface projections
and corrugations wherein a remainder of said at least one second
member is of a substantially arcuate shape in cross-section, and
wherein said arcuate remainder of said at least one second member
includes, at or in the vicinity of one of a free end and a
protruding end thereof, a cut-out portion at each side thereof so
as to form one of a hook-like and a hook-shaped end portion which
is positioned within said aperture of said at least one first
member so as to interconnect said protruding ends of said at least
one first and second members;
disposing a plurality of said at least one first member within the
mortar courses of the first wall;
respectively attaching the end portion of said at least one second
member within said aperture of said at least one first member,
and
disposing said free end of said at least one second member within
the mortar course of the second brick wall.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates, in general terms, to an improved
form of masonry or brick tie. The invention relates more
particularly, but not exclusively, to a two-part masonry tie, in
other words an arrangement made up of two separate, yet
interconnectable members.
BACKGROUND ART
In the past it has been an accepted practice in the construction of
so-called cavity brick walls, especially in Australia, to initially
construct a first wall (preferably the innermost wall) in its
entirety and, subsequent thereto, to construct the second
(preferably external) wall or courses of bricks spaced-apart
therefrom by the prescribed distance. In overseas countries, as for
example the United Kingdom, in contrast to the Australian practice
it has generally speaking been the routine to construct both inner
and outer walls each on a progressive basis.
Regardless of whether or not the Australian or United Kingdom
practice is to be pursued, building regulations require that
adjacent, juxtaposed walls be interconnected utilizing components
known as masonry or brick ties. The employment of such ties serves
to provide increased structural rigidity and lateral stability and
to assist in prevention of unwanted collapse of masonry brick
walls. Such is especially important in, for example,
earthquake-prone areas.
In Australia, with the aforementioned practice of initially
constructing a first wall and subsequently building adjacent
thereto a second wall, the requirement for the use of masonry ties
resulted in the first constructed wall having a number of ties or
members, generally of metal, disposed therewithin and protruding
therefrom at the prescribed intervals. The aim was then to be able
to construct the second or juxtaposed wall such that at least part
of said protruding member could be located within the mortar
thereof. The ties then serve to "connect" the walls in the desired
manner. The very existence of such protruding members has however,
been found to give rise to problems in terms of the safety of the
bricklayer during the course of construction of the adjacent brick
wall (on the other side of the cavity). In a practical sense the
bricklayer took the risk of cutting or in some way impaling himself
on the protruding portions of the ties while actually constructing
the second wall. By virtue of the risk of such cutting or impaling,
it had become a common practice for the bricklayer to bend the ties
either upwards or downwards subsequent to their disposition in the
first-built wall. It was the intention that, during construction of
the second brick wall, the ties would be bent back into their
initial configuration and appropriately located within mortar
courses of the second brick wall whereby to provide the desired
interconnection between the adjacent walls. Such a practice of
first bending a brick tie and subsequently restoring such a tie to
its substantially horizontal configuration in itself involved the
expenditure of significant periods of time. Furthermore,
investigations carried out on buildings which suffered significant
damage during the recent earthquakes in Newcastle have revealed
that the sometimes adopted practice of bending brick ties out of
the way to avoid damage to the bricklayer gave rise to a more
practical problem in that, when the second brick wall was being
constructed, the brick ties sometimes were not restored to their
substantially horizontal configuration so as to be disposed
appropriately within the second brick wall. In effect, therefore,
and in contrast to the prescribed building regulations, in some
instances no brick ties were either in place or effective. The
result was that the damage caused by the earthquakes was much more
substantial than would have been the case if the walls had been
properly constructed and braced, employing brick ties as
prescribed.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
The arrangement in accordance with the present invention seeks to
overcome the problems and disadvantages associated with the prior
art by providing a masonry or brick tie of a two-piece
construction. Such an arrangement still including a member having a
portion thereof protruding from the first constructed brick wall,
but the degree of protrusion is much reduced when compared with the
prior art arrangements, and hence the changes of the bricklayer
cutting or impaling himself on such protruding portions is greatly
reduced.
In accordance with the present invention, therefore, there is
provided a masonry or brick tie for use in cavity brick structures,
said tie including two discrete members each adapted, in use, to be
disposed within a mortar course of a respective brick wall and to
extend therebetween, and wherein said members are adapted, in use,
to be interconnectable at the respective free or protruding ends
thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
In order that the invention may be more clearly understood and put
into practical effect there shall now be described in detail a
preferred embodiment of a masonry or brick tie in accordance with
the invention. The ensuing description is given by way of
non-limitative example only and is with reference to the
accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view from above of brick ties in accordance
with the present invention when installed within a cavity brick
wall, extending between adjacent courses of bricks thereof;
FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a first component of the two
component brick tie in accordance with the present invention;
and
FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of the second component of a two
component brick tie in accordance with the invention.
BEST MODE CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
As shown in, for example, FIG. 1, a first member 1 of a brick tie
in accordance with the present invention is adapted, in use, to be
disposed within a mortar course 2a of a first brick wall 2. The
first member 1 of the arrangement in accordance with the present
invention, of a substantially elongate shape, includes a plurality
of substantially circular apertures 3 disposed at spaced-apart
intervals along the length thereof. In the preferred embodiment
illustrated three such apertures 3 are included. It should be
realized, however, that both the overall length of the member 1,
and/or the number of apertures 3, may be varied as desired. Such
apertures 3 are adapted, in use, to allow for passage therethrough
and location therewithin of mortar or the like, whereby to assist
in securing or "keeping" the overall member 1 within the mortar
course 2a itself. In the arrangement as illustrated, again with
reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the first member 1 includes an end
portion 1a, preferably of a substantially semi-circular shape,
having a shaped aperture 4 disposed therethrough. The end portion
1a is constructed so as to be substantially smooth-edged, rather
than sharp-edged, whereby to minimize the potential cutting effect
thereof. Such end portion 1a is adapted, in use, to protrude
slightly from the wall 2, as shown in FIG. 1.
The second member 10 of the two-part brick tie in accordance with
the present invention is also of a substantially elongate shape,
being constructed from substantially planar plate material,
preferably a metallic material, in any known manner. At one end of
the second member 10 there is provided a portion 11 having a
plurality of surface projections or corrugations 12 formed thereon,
in any known manner, whereby to assist in "keying" of the member 10
itself into the mortar course 5a of the relevant wall 5.
The remaining portion 13 of the second member 10 is of
substantially arcuate shape when viewed in cross-section, as
illustrated for example in FIG. 1. Such arcuate shaping allows any
moisture which might condense thereon within the cavity of the
cavity-brick wall to fall or drop therefrom, thereby minimizing the
potentially destructive effects of rusting and the like on the
brick tie itself.
At the free end of the arcuate portion 13 of the second member 10
there is provided a shaped slot 14 which is adapted, in use, to
allow for disposition of the second member 10 relative to the first
member 1 in the manner as shown in FIG. 1. The slot 14 serves to
define or limit the degree of travel available to the second member
10 within and relative to the first member 1, yet at the same time
allows for movement to compensate for any shifting of the
respective walls 2, 5 which might take place due to earthquakes,
the onset of dry weather, shifting of ground, etc.
The arrangement in accordance with the present invention is such
that, in the instance of a first wall 2 being constructed, the
first members 1 to be associated therewith only marginally or
slightly protrude therefrom, thereby minimizing the possibility of
the worker being cut by or impaled upon the protruding portion,
this in marked contrast to the prior art. When it becomes time for
the second or adjacent wall 5 to be constructed the bricklayer can,
as required, simply connect the members 1 and 10 and then dispose
the respective second members 10 relative to the first members 1
within the mortar course 5a of the second wall 5. The arrangement
allows for pivotal vertical movement to compensate for variations
between levels of bricks when under construction and at the same
time allows a certain degree of "play", which could have a
significant effect in an earthquake situation. The present
arrangement also allows for a certain degree of sideways movement,
to take into account "growth" or "shrinkage" of bricks, concrete,
mortar or the like.
The present arrangement affords appropriate strength and still
ascribes flexibility, yet at the same time is safer for the
installer (the bricklayer).
It must be realized that the aforegoing description refers merely
to preferred embodiments of the arrangement in accordance with the
invention and that variations and modifications will be possible
thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the
invention, the extent of which is to be determined from the
following claims.
* * * * *